1970 America was a much more hazardous and toxic place than the country we now live in. Every major US city was poisoned with toxic emissions as carbon monoxide from car engines filled the air. Untreated sewage was dumped into waters and lakes. Some rivers were so polluted that they Read more
“The energy and critical minerals (“energy”) identification, leasing, development, production, transportation, refining, and generation capacity of the United States are all far too inadequate to meet our Nation’s needs. We need a reliable, diversified, and affordable supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries, and Read more
Demand response is a strategy that compensates electricity customers for reducing their consumption in response to instructions sent out electronically from the grid operator (in the case of Massachusetts, the Independent System Operator for New England, ISO-NE). Facilities that generate electricity (like power plants) are paid for the amount of Read more
The Benefits of Community Solar Nationally, almost seventy percent of the population can’t have rooftop solar, either because they rent, they can’t afford it, or their roof is not suitable for solar because of location or tree cover. Community solar allows multiple customers, or “subscribers,” to purchase the output from Read more
Geothermal energy is clean and essentially unlimited (at least until the Earth is swallowed by the Sun in about 7.59 billion years when the Sun expands into a red giant and engulfs our planet)! In the meantime, the core of our planet will continually generate thermal energy that can be used Read more
The very short answer to that question is: no. Now here’s the longer answer. Building enough nuclear power plants to make a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would cost trillions of dollars and create tens of thousands of tons of deadly radioactive waste. Where and how will that dangerous Read more
you’re probably aware that the Massachusetts Legislature failed to pass a comprehensive climate bill when the legislative session ended in August. Environmental groups and individuals across the state had been working for two years to help craft the bills that were part of the proposed legislation: filing comments, calling and Read more
The concentration of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere has more than doubled over the past 200 years. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has caused around 30% of all human-caused global warming since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s. Most methane emissions are anthropogenic; that is, they are the Read more
Anyone who sat through the days of Massachusetts Senate hearings on the current climate omnibus bill last week would be forgiven for having some questions about the efficiency of the legislative process in Massachusetts.
Building a cleaner power grid in Massachusetts will require new infrastructure—but deciding where that infrastructure goes requires care, clarity on the principles guiding decision-making, and concerted community engagement.